vivacious
Americanadjective
adjective
-
full of high spirits and animation; lively or vital
-
obsolete having or displaying tenacity of life
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of vivacious
First recorded in 1635–45; vivaci(ty) + -ous
Explanation
A vivacious person is lively and spirited: a vivacious dancer might do a back-flip off the wall and then jump into the arms of her partner. Some people are just naturally fun to be around; they sparkle, they animate any group they're part of, they're full of life. That, in fact, is the root meaning of the word: it's from Latin vivere "to live." It has more of a sense of playfulness than lively or animated. Even the most sedentary slob can feel revitalized in the presence of a vivacious soul.
Vocabulary lists containing vivacious
Animal Farm
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 8
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As the sun dips below the horizon, a fleet of onlookers on jet skis and boats idle on the water to catch a peek of the vivacious scene.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
He described his mother as "beautiful, vivacious, a cool mum - you couldn't have wished for a better mum".
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
In the mind of “One Piece” creator Eiichiro Oda, the vivacious Luffy hailed from Brazil.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 10, 2026
Hughes’ script supplies Andie with a fount of vivacious wit and self-assurance, which is what makes watching her dull her shine as the film progresses so confounding.
From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2026
Pat, a vivacious college beauty queen just two months graduated from Virginia State College, was marrying her college sweetheart, a young army corporal named Walter Kane.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
